


Under the Sea

by harmony88



Series: Forever With You [11]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Action & Romance, F/M, Smut, Soul Bond, Telepathic Bond, episodic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-11
Updated: 2020-12-11
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:35:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28004001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/harmony88/pseuds/harmony88
Summary: COMPLETEAfter meeting Martha, the Doctor & Rose embark on a trip to an underwater city with her and Donna. Another mystery unfolds, and Martha realizes traveling with them is not what she expected. Fluff, smut, action and comedy and some cute Ten/Rose feels.In the near four years that Rose and the Doctor had traveled together, there were lots of places she loved, but she could count on one hand the places that took her breath away in the same way that Aquatica did.The moment they stepped off the TARDIS, they found themselves on soft sand squishing under their feet, with seashells and sand dollars kicking up as they walked. Donna couldn’t take her eyes off the sand, and Martha couldn’t take her eyes off the TARDIS, completely overwhelmed that one moment she was in 2008 on Earth, a day before New Year’s Eve, and the next she was... here.
Relationships: Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler
Series: Forever With You [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2030980
Comments: 6
Kudos: 142





	1. New Companions

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter contains a bit of smut and angst, but the adventure part of the story begins next chapter!

In the near four years that Rose and the Doctor had traveled together, there were lots of places she loved, but she could count on one hand the places that took her breath away in the same way that Aquatica did. 

The moment they stepped off the TARDIS, they found themselves on soft sand squishing under their feet, with seashells and sand dollars kicking up as they walked. Donna couldn’t take her eyes off the sand, and Martha couldn’t take her eyes off the TARDIS, completely overwhelmed that one moment she was in 2008 on Earth, a day before New Year’s Eve, and the next she was... here. 

Rose couldn’t keep her eyes off the skyline above them, which she very quickly realized was the ocean itself. A great white whale swam directly over their heads, and she squealed, catching the attention of Donna and Martha, who both said how incredible it all was. 

The Doctor couldn’t take his eyes off Rose. 

He was still trying to let the last lingering pangs of insecurities from Martha’s question go as she led their two companions forward, pointing out all the fish and creatures that they saw. He hung back, captivated by her appreciation for it all. She was beautiful, always. 

He glanced up eventually, and smiled when a stingray looked him in the eye. 

“How is this possible?” he heard Martha ask. “I mean, it’s just nothing like Earth!” 

“It is Earth,” the Doctor said, walking swiftly to catch up with them, and lacing his hand in Rose’s. “85th century. Most of Earth by that point is underwater. But humans, brilliant creatures that you are, you adapt. Like you always do, and you find a way to live on. Underwater cities are all the rage now. 90% of the entire planet lives in one. Only the very, very, very, rich live on land.” 

He looked at Rose, and nudged his mind to hers. 

_You look absolutely radiant, by the way,_ he said, and squeezed her hand as she smiled at him lovingly. 

“How can we breathe?” Donna asked. “I mean, we can properly breathe down here!” 

“We’re in a dome,” the Doctor said with a grin. “Like I said, you adapt. There’s oxygen in here.” 

“And, what’s that called...a gravity shield!” Rose said. The Doctor looked at her, a small and amazed smile tugging at his cheeks. “Not that I’ve been here before, but we can stand too, so I sort of figured.” 

“Quite right,” he said, nudging her with his shoulder. She nudged back, and Martha found herself looking at Donna, silently relating to the feeling of being an extra wheel at the moment. “Come along, then! The city awaits!” 

They moved through the sand, still admiring the ocean above, where swarms of colorful fish were swimming in circles. Martha jumped when a shark appeared, but the Doctor assured her it was fine. The domes of underwater cities are protected by a forcefield, so the sealife can’t get in or get hurt, and neither can the humans. 

As they entered the city of Aquatica, Rose’s stomach flipped over. In the heart of it all laid a tall building, designed to look like eight octopus legs wrapping around each other, forming a swirling oceanic flower, dancing with lights and bubbles as advanced submarines traveled above them, reminding Martha of dolphins. 

There were hundreds of other buildings on all sides of them as well, much smaller than the octopus hub, but each one dazzled everyone with their lights. 

“The thing in the middle, that’s the interconnection system. The highway. They’ve built teleports all along the tentacles, so you can get from one side of the city to the other very easily. If they’re backed up, though, you have the Dolphin Subs,” the Doctor said. 

“Even the bloody ocean needs a highway,” Donna said, shaking her head. “Figures.” 

Rose laughed, and pulled the Doctor along with her, sending him a wave of love, bouncing on her heels as they made their way into the center of the city. 

She could tell through the hum in her head that he was still thinking about losing her, just a little bit. He assured he was fine, and then placed his block up so she could enjoy the city and not worry about him. She looked at him, but he just kissed her and smiled, nudging her again with his shoulder. 

The humans around them were dressed in silver and blues, with lots of sharp edged cuts on the shoulders of their clothing and diagonal designs on their chests, and Martha, Rose, and Donna were all dazzled. They were chatting away, the Doctor smirking to himself at how happy Rose was to have the girls there with her. Eventually, Martha yawned involuntarily, and it made Rose yawn, then Donna, and inevitably even the Doctor gave in. They all started laughing, starting with a chuckle, but then the reality of where they were hit Martha. She was first to fall over in a full on attack, and the sound triggered Donna’s teary eyed laugh, and Rose wasn’t even sure what she was laughing at. 

The Doctor was definitely laughing at all three of them. 

It was a perfect moment, a welcome start to their trip, and the Doctor wrapped his arm around Rose’s waist, wiping his eye as the laughter subsided. “I s’pose we did run from stopping the Viper immediately here, didn’t we? And I just remembered I didn’t sleep last night, took apart a telly, and I know Donna was babysitting -” 

“You took the telly apart after I told you not to?” Rose said, smirking at him. He ignored her. 

“How about we stay the night and explore tomorrow? I know a hotel with a fantastic view - we can get two rooms?” he offered. Donna’s eyes lit up, and Martha, at this point, was just along for the ride. 

They meandered through the city, tasting new food and doing some window shopping on their way to the hotel. When they reached it, Donna let out a low whistle. The building was truly exquisite, the shape of a seashell, and Martha just stared at it with her mouth open. 

“Come on, then!” the Doctor said, and led them all into the lobby. 

Inside, Rose noticed, felt similar to other hotels she and the Doctor had stayed in on their journeys - and reminded her a lot of New New Earth with its futuristic design. She smiled, looking at the crown molding, where there were images of sea creatures plastered on the frame. Martha was staring at a rock in the middle of the sitting area, and Donna came to join her. It was a vibrant blue and very thin, and Donna realized it was actually a coffee table. 

The Doctor returned a moment later and handed Donna a room key. “We’re right across from each other.” 

This part, Martha thought to herself, felt like home. They walked up the stairs to the third floor and opened up both rooms. Rose was giddy, and the Doctor just sat on the couch as she and Martha pointed out how good the shampoo smelled, and ran back into the other room. Donna came to sit by him. 

“Hey,” she said. 

“Hey,” he replied, smiling at her. His arm was draped across the back of the couch, and his left ankle was resting on his right knee. She looked at him for a moment, and decided to go to the mini bar, grabbing two small bottles of wine and bringing one to the Doctor. “What’s that for?” 

“I think you need it,” she said. He looked at her and didn’t say anything, but he did open the bottle and took a rather long swig. 

They sat in silence for a moment, and Donna decided since he wasn’t pulling away, she could push a little more. They had been on four other trips since 1922, three of which involved a lot of running and quick witted “save the day” skills from all three of them, and she and the Doctor were, if she dared to say it, becoming rather good mates. 

“I know Rose is playing hostess at the moment. Has been all night, trying to make sure Martha feels okay and is welcomed. She did the same thing with me during the Racnoss…” Donna whispered, sipping her wine. The Doctor didn’t look at her. “But she’s been giving me looks all night and then looking at you, so I think she’s a little worried. I’m a little worried, too.”

“What?” he said, looking at Donna incredulously. He had been positively cheery all evening. 

He realized in that moment, though, he hadn’t been doing a great job at being cheery on the inside. Rose had picked up on it at one point. He should have known he couldn’t fool her. 

That’s what happens when you share three bonds with someone, he thought with a small smile. 

“What Martha said, on the TARDIS...it meant something to you, didn’t it? To all of you. I saw it,” she said. The Doctor clenched his jaw. 

“I’m fine, Donna,” he said. 

“Sure you are…” she said. “But do you want to tell me about it? Sometimes it helps talking to someone who wasn’t...who…” 

“I’m fine,” the Doctor said, and finished his wine. 

Ten steps forward and eight steps back. That’s how this fear works, it seems. It took him much longer than he wanted it to for him to be able to let the words Martha asked go. He had been thinking of them at the back of his mind the entire time until they all started to laugh. 

Donna was right, Rose couldn’t ease his insecurities for the ten thousandth time and take care of Martha in the way only she can. He needed this, whether he wanted to admit or not, and right now, he knew, he was shutting Donna out. 

Old habits. 

“It’s a wound, Donna. One that I don’t think will ever completely heal,” he said, moving to grab a second bottle. “Want one?”

“Sure,” she said, and took it from him wordlessly. He stood by the bar now, staring at the floor. “Rose is _here,_ Doctor.” 

“I know,” he said, looking up to smile at her. “That makes it harder somehow. And easier. Infinitely easier and infinitely harder.” 

Donna shook her head, taking a drink, “I think you like to be broken, spaceman.” Her eyes widened and she swallowed her sip with a slight cough. “Sorry, think these things are stronger than I remember. That was kind of rude.” 

“Not entirely wrong, though,” the Doctor admitted, drinking as well. “I’m just used to it. And believe it or not, I am much better than I was.”

“I know,” Donna said, smirking at him. He smirked back. Donna was right, talking was helping. 

“I lost her. For a while. She fell into a parallel universe and I thought the walls were sealed. I thought we’d never see each other again. It was my fault, though she doesn’t blame me, in fact…” he broke off, taking a sip. “We’ve been through a lot. And I do mean _a lot._ And it’s at the point now where I can go an entire day or two without worrying about losing her, or maybe I do think about it, but I’m able to move on and just live in the here and now. But then sometimes...it hits me out of nowhere like a freight train, and I just…”

Donna stared at him, watching as he finished his second bottle, and then opened a third. “Save some for Rose, yeah?” 

He paused, and sighed, placing the third bottle down. “Yeah.” 

She nodded, “I know you know this, but your wife is probably the strongest person I’ve ever met. Stronger than you, that’s for sure.” She was teasing, and he smiled a little at her. “She will fight like hell to stay with you. And after the things I’ve seen her do, she’ll win. Every time.” 

He felt his hearts beat faster as Donna said this. Rose was the strongest person he knew, too. It was one of the reasons why this stupid fear angers him so much, because he knows how much Rose isn’t worried, not like he can be, and he desperately wants to feel that way, too. He moved to Donna, sitting beside her, and leaned back against the couch. 

“We never told you, but I had just gotten her back when you arrived,” he said, looking up at the ceiling. “Ruined a moment.” 

“I think you’ve made up for it,” she teased, poking his ring. He smiled, feeling incredibly stupid again for letting such an innocent question from someone who had no idea what she was asking get to him, and he sighed. “Well, I’m going to take over for her now, help Martha get settled. How’s that sound?” 

He didn’t say anything, but he followed her with his eyes as she left the room and walked across the hall. Rose walked in less than a minute later, and he felt every weight on his hearts lift, just for a moment. 

“I’m sorry,” she said, as she closed the door. “Didn’t mean for that to take so long.” 

“You were having fun,” he said, and pulled her to him. She curled into a ball against his side with her head on his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her as close as he possibly could. “How’s Martha?” 

“She’s fantastic,” Rose said, grinning up at him. She didn’t pester him with more questions, or open their minds to send him reassurance. Donna had nodded to her as she walked into the other room, so she knew he was able to talk about it, and she knew that was enough. He surprised her, though. 

“Thank you,” he said. “Moment of weakness.” 

“We all have those,” she whispered softly, and brought her lips to his. They danced there for a moment, before she pulled back and raised an eyebrow at him. “You had wine without me!” 

“Here,” he said, and started to move to get her the third bottle he had set down, but she stopped him. 

“I have a better idea,” she said, and stood up, holding her hand out to him. He took it and walked with her to the window, where she pushed the curtain back and they stared at the incredible sight before them. A Dolphin Sub swam right by their window, and the Doctor wrapped his arms around her waist, pinning her body to his, and suddenly got the overwhelming urge to live in the here and now. 

He saw, in the reflection of the window, that his clock rested on her chest. Hope. 

He placed a delicate kiss on her shoulder, and trailed up to her ear. His breath hovered over her, causing goosebumps to rise on her arms, but she didn’t turn to him, not yet. She stayed wrapped in his embrace and closed her eyes, the sensations he gave her exceedingly more intriguing than their underwater view. Her head tilted toward his, and a spark of need flew from between them, causing her to bite her lip. His hands moved from her waist to her hips, and she brushed against him, shooting a new surge toward him, and he turned her around in his arms, his lips on hers. 

He kissed her against the dancing lights of the buildings outside, where the fish were still moving above them, but she was still the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. His hand came to rest over the clock, just for a moment, before wrapping in her hair as he led her toward the bed with eager kisses. 

She let out a groan as he traced his fingers down her side, and slipped them under her waistband, tantalizing and teasing, and he was kissing her neck, tantalizing and teasing, as she began to squirm around him, gasping. 

“I love you,” he whispered against her ear in a husky voice, and a shiver ran down her spine. 

“I love you so much,” she said. He nibbled her ear for a moment and slipped his hand under her shirt, helping her remove it entirely, before he directed his attention to the freshly exposed skin, still savoring and kissing. 

Her eyes glowed gold, unable to wait any longer, and she nudged his mind. They flickered back to her hazel galaxies as they connected, and the Doctor moaned. 

“Need you,” Rose gasped as he continued to explore, quickly moving to lay above her, but she gave him a sly grin, her tongue in the corner of her mouth, and shifted, pressing him against the mattress as she took over. 

He watched her, utterly entranced by every move she made. Every kiss, every brush of her body and her mind, every image she sent to him, it all rendered him speechless and he arched against the bed, her name rolling off his tongue in Gallifreyan. 

She said his in Gallifreyan back. 

His entire world stopped. 

Rose didn’t even realize she had said it, not at first, she just kept moving above him, enraptured by their connection, as he fell even more in love with her. 

She wasn’t Time Lady, but she sure as hell acted like it. 

Their eyes locked when she realized what had happened, and his grew dark with desire. He couldn’t speak, but he sat up and slammed his mouth to hers, his tongue swirling, and she was gripping his upper back, fingernails digging into his skin. 

His impossible human. 

“Say it again,” he said desperately, and she did. He groaned loudly and slammed her back down on the mattress, wrapping his mind around hers as her legs wrapped around his waist. Kissing just wasn’t enough, and he began to sway. 

A flash of a potential timeline hit them both, holding hands under a bright orange sky. 

It was fleeting and instantaneous, and they both cried out. He was unsure if he saw it or she saw it, of if they saw it together. All he knew it was the two of them. Together. 

Suddenly, he felt that wave of determination hit him and he could practically taste it, his forever future with her, as real as the way she tasted beneath his tongue. 

His mind was a clutter of memories. How far they had come. He briefly thought about how they handled the Viper, and the true team that they were now was filling him with pride. His clock, still around her neck, glistened against the lights outside and he moaned, sending her every ounce of love he could, smiling as she screamed. 

His fears from earlier were forgotten entirely, all he could think about was the way she was making him feel, and she exploded around him. She turned them over, her hair sticking to her forehead as they rolled, and he brushed it out of her eyes. 

He forgot what year they were in, what planet they were on, and that they weren’t the only two people in the universe. He just saw her. 

“Rose…” he whimpered as she once again took the reins. Her mind was locked with his, and nothing mattered except the love she felt surrounding them both. 

She said his name again, in Gallifreyan and English, and the supernova burst. 

She collapsed on top of him, and both were utterly speechless. 

It took him several minutes to ease the lump in his throat, but he gripped her close, peppering kisses on her sweaty forehead. “How?” 

“I don’t know,” she whispered. “Instincts, I guess. I remember hearing your mother say it, and it just, like...came into my head one day, a few months ago, I…” 

“What?” he whispered quietly, rubbing her cheek with his thumb. His hearts were swollen and pounding, and there was a tear falling out of his eye but he didn’t care. She rubbed her lips together. 

“I wanted it to be right. I didn’t want to say it wrong. I didn’t mean to do that, not yet,” she whispered. He felt his hearts soar as he caught her in a kiss. 

“Rose. It was brilliant,” he told her. “I...Thank you.” 

She smiled at him, and kissed him softly. “Yeah?” 

“Oh, yes,” he said, rolling on top of her again for a moment. He sent her a wave of impossible gratitude. He hadn’t heard another living person speak his native tongue in so long. And he was not and never could be prepared for the way it made him feel to hear Rose of all people say his proper name. It was overwhelming. They kissed again, and the Doctor placed his forehead to hers, smiling at her. “I love you.”

“I love you,” she said, and snuggled into his side. She fell asleep faster than she meant to, and he chuckled when she started to lightly snore against him. He let his mind wander, still overwhelmingly happy, and drifted off slowly. 

He dreamt of Rose and orange sunsets.


	2. Ballgowns

The next morning, Donna and Martha were eager to explore. As they got ready, Martha noticed that even the showers were better in the 85th century. The water was soft and warm, wrapping around her like a blanket. 

Donna was drinking a cuppa when there was a knock at her door, and she laughed when Rose and the Doctor stood on the other side, smiling like a pair of idiots at her. 

“Hello!” they said simultaneously. Martha walked out a moment later, dressed in yesterday’s clothes, and ran up to Donna. 

“Good morning!” she said, and hugged them both quickly. “So how does this work?” 

The Doctor smiled. “What do you mean?” 

“Well, I just…” Martha said, unsure how to ask what she meant. Rose smiled at her. 

“We just walk downstairs, and the world is our oyster,” she said. 

“Literally, actually, some places here are on an oyster,” the Doctor added, grinning at them all. “Allons-y!” 

He led them all outside, and Rose kept thinking nothing would ever beat the image of swirling fish swimming above their heads. The Doctor was elaborating on the history of the city, how it was founded in the 78th century and it’s mayor, a woman named Patricia Hammon, had pioneered many other underwater cities over the last four years. She’s considered a beacon of the time, and he eventually led them to one side of the interconnection system. 

“Fancy testing out the teleports?” he asked. Rose and Donna ran forward, but Martha held back, nervous. The Doctor looked at her, and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Want to watch them go first?” 

She looked at Rose, who sent her a reassuring smile, and moved forward, standing beside Donna as they walked onto a small disk hovering just above the sand. “What do we do?” Rose called. 

“Press the green button, followed by the yellow!” he said. They did, and Martha gasped as they shot straight up, disappearing with a pop. 

“Oh my god!” she shouted. She ran forward, looking around the teleport, ignoring the man behind them who was shouting at them to get a move on. “Are they okay?” 

“They’re fine!” the Doctor said, stepping onto the disk. “Now come on, we’ll go together.” 

She gave him an unsure look, but he held his hand out, and for some reason everything inside of her told her to trust him. She stepped next to him, and screamed as he pressed both buttons. 

It felt like she blinked, and when she opened her eyes on the other side, Rose and Donna were talking excitedly in front of her, not even phased by the fact they just teleported. Martha waved her hand behind her, feeling the open air, and just stared at the Doctor with wide eyes, who smiled and walked to his wife, kissing her briefly before he began to talk about the buildings they found themselves surrounded by now. 

They did more window shopping, grabbed breakfast, and were taking it all in. They were walking in a straight line when a sign appeared above their heads, advertising the annual Under the Sea Ball that Pamela Hammon threw every year at her house. Rose smiled, and looked at the Doctor. She nudged her mind to his. 

_What’s the date here?_ she asked. 

_It’s tonight, if that’s what you’re asking,_ he said, smiling a little at her. 

_It’s Martha’s first trip. A ball would be so exciting, what do you think?”_

_If you wear heels again, it’s a deal,_ he said with a cheeky smile. She playfully hit his arm and looked over at Martha. 

“You wanna go?” she asked, gesturing to the sign. 

“What, wait, really?” she asked. “I’d love to!” 

“Brilliant, it’s a date!” Rose said, linking her arm in the Doctor’s. 

They spent the next few hours exploring and watching the ocean (something Rose was still convinced she would never get enough of), before making their way to the TARDIS. 

“Oi, spaceman, what kind of ball is this?” Donna called from the wardrobe. He had purposefully given themselves plenty of time to get there. Donna and Rose had found excuses to wear costumes on almost all of their adventures together so far, and he knew adding Martha to the mix would delay them further. 

“Fancy!” he called. He wasn’t nearly as bored this time, as he was changing too. He was checking himself over in the mirror when Rose walked into their bedroom. 

“Look at you,” she said, smiling widely. He looked at her through the mirror, and swallowed hard. 

“I could say the same,” he told her, flipping his tie through the loop and tightening it. She was wearing a white dress, with a sweetheart neckline and soft lace along her torso. The tulle skirt pillowed out, not quite a full ball gown, but lovely and ethereal all the same. Her hair, yellow and perfect, was resting in loose curls, and he noticed her hoop earrings were right where they belonged. 

The Doctor’s mind flashed to an image of her in a similar dress, walking down an aisle to meet him. Rose smiled at him, moving to stand behind him and rubbed his arms, their eyes still locked in the mirror. 

“Would you want to do that?” she whispered. They hadn’t talked about it since Jackie first mentioned doing an Earth ceremony all those months ago, and as he looked at her, she allowed her eyes to take him in as well. His hair was perfect and tousled, his jaw chiseled like that night in 2056, all of which was enough to make her knees weak, but it was the navy blue suit with the maroon shirt and tie that was slowly unraveling her. 

“Would you?” he asked. Her chin came to rest on his shoulder, and her hand slipped into his. She flashed him her tongue in cheek smile. 

“I asked you first,” she whispered. He pressed his head against hers, and gave her hand a squeeze. 

“I...yes,” he whispered, finally breaking eye contact in the mirror so he could turn and face her. “I’d marry you a thousand times.” 

She felt her heart skip a beat and kissed him, her arms wrapping around his neck. “Me too.” 

“Yeah?” he asked, centimeters away from kissing her again. 

“Yes,” she said. Their lips met, and Rose pulled away, tugging at his lapel. 

“Why blue?” she asked. 

“What’s wrong with blue?” he said, and she bit her lip. 

“Nothing,” she whispered. “I _really_ like the blue, actually.” 

They were kissing again, and this time it started to deepen. Rose pulled back, and he quirked an eyebrow at her as she led him toward the door. 

“You know, Rose Tyler, we are in a time machine, we could absolutely do this and they'd all be none the wiser,” he said seductively and he pulled her back to him. She giggled, and kissed him, but pulled away again, and winked. 

“We’re not alone,” she said, smirking at him. 

He’d forgotten that entirely. 

He watched her as she sauntered away from him, and just shook his head when she disappeared behind the wall. She did things to him he never thought possible. 

Martha and Donna both looked lovely. Donna wore a black dress, long and sequined, and she put her hair up. Martha opted for purple velvet, with long sleeves and a crisscross neckline, and the skirt also rested at her feet. She wore her hair back in a clip, so the ends rested above her head slightly, and she grinned when Rose and the Doctor joined them. 

“Well, don’t we all clean up nicely?” the Doctor said, smiling. Rose grabbed her favorite bag for dress up missions, the one that is bigger on the inside, and threw three pairs of trainers inside, just in case. The Doctor bit his cheek, realizing that meant she was, in fact, wearing heels. She looked at him knowingly, but moved to the door, and wiggled her hand out. 

“Allons-y!” she shouted, and the Doctor said something about her taking his line as they moved toward the mayor’s house.


	3. New Team

It was quite, for lack of a better word, swanky. 

The party was a “come one, come all” event, and the whole city was there. Everyone was dressed to the nines, and the house itself was more of a castle. 

Martha saw some of the oysters the Doctor referenced earlier on the house’s roof. They were larger than ones she remembered, and were glistening against the lights of the buildings around them. 

They walked in and were immediately met by overwhelming smells. People were friendly enough, greeting them as they passed, and Donna grabbed an hor d'oeuvre from a tray, stuffing it in her mouth, and then took two more, flashing Rose a look telling her to grab one before they were gone. 

The Doctor’s hand stayed in Rose’s as they walked through the crowd. It reminded them of that night in London, but carefree, and they introduced themselves to all sorts of people, wearing all sorts of brilliant outfits. 

The backyard was full of people as well, not that any of them were anywhere near being able to make it there. The foyer was bigger than the TARDIS’ library, a feat Rose was rather impressed with, as that library was...huge. 

Okay, maybe the library was bigger. But this held a close second. 

Music played through each room - songs none of them knew, but that somehow made it better. Especially as they watch the people around them sing along. All the humans realized some things never change, even 6,400 years in the future. 

Rose began to take in the decor, where the under the sea theme was evident. There were tridents and wheels on the walls, nets with seashells, pearls and clamshells, and tucked against the corner of each room they walked into were old statues, covered in algae. They were of mermaids, serpents, an octopus, and other nautical creatures and myths. She thought they were absolutely intriguing. 

An hour and a half into their stay, Martha, who had somehow gotten pulled into conversation with two elder couples, came running up to Rose and the Doctor. 

“Have you seen the statues?” she asked. 

“They’re fantastic!” the Doctor said, looking over at the one that looked like a dolphin splashing against the water. 

“They’re moving,” Martha said. 

“What?” Rose said. She glanced over her shoulder, and waited. The dolphin statue, sure enough, tilted it’s head up a little higher as she stared. “Doctor, are they supposed to do that?” 

He didn’t say anything, but he looked around the room for Donna, spotting her by another tray of hor d'oeuvres. “Stay with Martha,” he told Rose, and he moved over to Donna. 

“There you are!” she said, her mouth still a little full. He smirked, and grabbed one for himself, taking a look around the room. 

“Have you noticed the statues?” he asked. Donna shook her head. 

“What statues?” she said. He pointed to one in the corner to his left of a stingray. It’s flippers began to tremble, slightly. Then they stopped. 

“Well isn’t that wizard?” Donna said. 

“Ooh, I like that,” the Doctor said, grinning at her. She grinned back. 

“What are you thinking?” she asked. He grabbed her arm lightly, leading her back toward Martha and Rose, who was still in the same area he left her, for once. 

_I heard that,_ Rose thought, and he shot her a playful look. 

“Right, so here’s what we’re going to do. Donna, you’re with me. Martha, stay with Rose. Rose, try to find Pamela and see what you can find out about the statues. Donna and I are going to keep an eye on them,” he said. 

“So you don’t think it’s normal, then?” Martha asked. The Doctor shrugged. 

“It could be. Maybe some advancement I’m not aware of, but it’ll be much more fun to make sure rather than assume, won’t it?” he said, winking at her. Martha looked at Rose, who was looking at one of the other statues. It was also moving. 

“It’s not natural,” she said matter of factly. 

“How do you know?” Martha asked. Rose looked at her. 

“Let’s just call it instincts,” she said, her eyes darting to her husband’s, who clenched his jaw. 

“Well, then,” he said. “Find Pamela, let me know when you do.” 

She nodded, and tugged Martha along with her. 

“How’s she going to do that, dumbo? You refuse to carry a mobile,” Donna said. The Doctor just looked at her. 

“She’ll tell me,” was all he said, and began to walk toward the mermaid statue, whose fin was wiggling. He whipped out his sonic screwdriver and scanned it. “Oh you are beautiful!” 

“What?” Donna said, confused. He looked at her. 

“Oh yes, you look lovely, too, but this statute… it’s brilliant. Ancient by this time, covered with algae and copper deposits,” he said. Donna walked to the back of it, and examined the algae. 

“Smells weird,” she said. The Doctor was scanning again, trying to see what else he could discover. 

Rose, in the meantime, was leading Martha back through the crowd. 

_Doctor, what does Pamela look like?_

She smiled as he sent her a wave of love, followed by an image. She was older, with gray hair and small specs. Rose kept her eyes peeled. 

“Does this happen often?” Martha asked. “You show up at a place and then there’s some sort of mystery to solve?” 

“Yes,” Rose said, smiling at her. “Come on.” 

They walked through the foyer, and Rose saw her tucked by the staircase, chatting to two or three people all dressed in similar red suits. 

“Excuse me, I am so sorry to interrupt, but are Ms. Pamela Harron?” Rose asked. The woman turned, her small specs resting on the bridge of her nose, and she gave Rose a kind smile. 

“Indeed,” she said. 

“I just want to say, it’s an honor to meet you. My name is Rose Tyler, this is my friend Martha Jones,” she said. Martha stepped forward, and Pamela smiled at them both. 

“Oh, that’s kind. Thank you, I hope you are enjoying the party,” she said. 

“It’s great,” Martha said. “Though what -” 

Rose shot her a look, silently asking her to let her handle it, since it was her first time. Martha blushed, embarrassed, and bit her tongue. Rose squeezed her hand. 

“Your home is lovely,” she said. Martha decided to watch and take notes, in the event she ever got an opportunity like this again. 

“Thank you, it was built when we erected the city. I designed it after a castle I saw in a architecture book from Denmark,” she said. “Silly, it must seem.” 

“Oh, no, I think it’s exquisite,” Rose said. “And the statues you have all around, they are wonderful.” 

“Oh, do you like them?” Pamela said, clapping her hand to her heart, clearly very touched. “We just found them in a series of shipwrecks when we were looking for a new location for our latest city. I brought them back here, thinking they would be a lovely homage to the old life.” 

“I love that,” Rose said, grinning at her. Martha watched as Rose’s smile rubbed off on Pamela, who suddenly grabbed her hand. 

“Can I show you both my favorite one?” she asked. Rose nodded, and Martha followed as they walked to a statue tucked in the back corner. “It’s of Nessie, the loch ness monster, at least that’s what I think it is.” 

Martha’s eyes trailed the statue. It was very much a monster of some kind. 

Rose saw as the mouth of the beast began to widen. Pamela seemed too entranced with her discovery to notice. 

Her Instincts were firing like wildfire inside of her. 

“Did you run any tests on them when you got them? I’m a museum curator, and I find things like this utterly brilliant,” Rose said. 

“What do you mean?” Pamela asked. Rose smiled. 

“Oh, just...they appear to be moving. It’s wonderful, did you do that or did they arrive this way?” she asked. 

It wasn’t wonderful. In fact, alarms were sounding off in her head rapidly, telling her to get everyone away from every statue, but she wanted to get her answer first. 

“Oh we didn’t touch them, other than bringing them here I suppose. Though they seem fine to me, I apologize,” she said. Rose looked, where she saw the statue had stopped moving, and she frowned. “It was lovely to meet you both, I’m afraid I must make my rounds. Enjoy the party.” 

“Of course, and thank you,” Rose said, and watched as Pamela returned to a new crowd. Martha looked at her. 

“How do you do that?” she asked. 

“Do what?” Rose said as she moved back to where the Doctor and Donna were. 

“Get her to just talk to you, like she trusted you,” she said. 

Rose really didn’t have time to explain the innate wolf sense that she was born with, but then was amplified by the Time Vortex, and after she learned to listen to her heart on Atlantis turned into a superpower of sorts, and now allows her Instincts to see things others couldn’t to Martha, so she just smiled. 

“I get lucky,” she said. “Come on.” 

_Doctor, where are you?_

_Still by the mermaid statue._

_Pamela has no idea what’s happening, but she said she got them from a shipwreck._

_I scanned them. Copper and algae deposits. They’re ancient, well, younger than you, certainly younger than me, but also older...timey wimey. Rose, it’s all so timey wimey, well.. Point is they are ancient by this time._

Rose saw him and Martha ran with her over to him. 

“The statue wouldn’t move when Pamela was around,” Rose said. The Doctor frowned. The mermaid tail was definitely moving beside him. 

“Maybe it’s nothing, yeah? I mean they aren’t trying to jump off the stand or anything, maybe -” Martha began to say, but just then, the serpent statue on the other side of the room fell over, and began to roll. 

People were laughing at first, but as it moved toward them they began to scream. Rose and the Doctor ran, ushering everyone to leave the room. 

More and more statues began to wake up, and Rose and the Doctor turned to see Martha get knocked down by the mermaid. 

“GET HER OUT OF HERE!” the Doctor yelled to Donna, who helped Martha up and ran. 

“WHERE DO WE GO?” she yelled back. The Doctor looked around. 

“GO UPSTAIRS!” Rose shouted. “WE’LL JOIN SOON!” 

Donna nodded and helped Martha up the stairs. Pamela caught Rose’s eye, but before she could speak another statue was rolling, and Pamela was running. 

People were screaming all around, but there were so many people at the party, many were trapped. 

Rose turned sharply, and grabbed the Doctor’s hand as the mermaid moved toward them. 

Rose stopped, tucking behind a pillar, and threw her heels off. The Doctor looked at her with his mouth slightly open, his eyes hungry and she smirked. 

“What was that word? Voracious?” she said. He smiled at her as he bit his cheek again and clicked his tongue, incredibly in love with her and their never ending banter. She just grabbed his hand and ran upstairs after Martha and Donna. 

They were tucked into the bathroom, the first door on the right, and they quickly ducked in after them. Rose tossed trainers to them, and ignored the sarcastic comments the Doctor made in her head as she put hers on, shooting him her tongue in cheek smile as she stood back up. 

They also ignored Martha as she tried to figure out where the trainers came from. Instead, they peered back into the foyer, where what could easily still be a thousand people were trapped, screaming and running from the statues. 

_Think with me?_ the Doctor said. Rose bit her lip. 

_I have no idea, Doctor._

_It has to have something to do with the algae maybe? Maybe the type of algae? Or the copper?_

_Does copper suddenly become aware of itself in the future?_

It seemed like a teasing question, but Rose was dead serious. After all this time, she had come to accept that literally anything was possible. 

_We need to run more scans._ the Doctor said. 

_Copper calcifies, maybe that triggered something?_ Rose thought. 

“Oi, you just going to stand there?” Donna shouted, snapping both of them out of their heads. 

“No, come on,” the Doctor said, and ran back down the stairs. 

He ran one way, Rose ran the other. Martha felt like her head was spinning as she tried to keep up with the couple. Donna was doing fairly well, but she had more experience, and she just stayed at her side as Donna started to help usher guests out the door as best she could. She jumped in, helping too. 

Rose found the loch ness monster statue rolling to a stop against a wall, and she walked up to it. “I’m not going to hurt you,” she said, hoping it could hear or understand her. “This is a screwdriver, a sonic one, I’m just scanning to see if I can help you, alright?” 

She flipped through four or five settings, looking for any information on the type of algae, how calcific the copper had become, or what type of material rested beneath. 

The statue only let her stay for a moment, before it started to roll toward her. 

It was faster than before, and trying to pin her to the back wall, so without a second thought she held out her hand, and the Vortex energy stopped it in its tracks. People were too distracted about leaving the house to notice, and as the golden energy held the statue in place, she saw the algae begin separate, and then move. 

It was alive. 

She set the statue back down, and ran to the Doctor. 

“Doctor!” she shouted at him, he turned, grinning at her. 

“I saw,” he said, catching her in a hug. 

Adventures with each other were infinitely more fun with their connection, he thought, and she grinned in response. 

Infinitely. 

“Could you tell what they were?” she asked. He shook his head. 

“It was too fast, but can you do it again?” he asked. She grabbed his hand, and led him over to the room where most of the guests and statues were now. Rose noticed a few people had gotten hurt, likely rolled ankles or something similar, but they were sitting on the ground crying and rubbing their legs. She was about to help them run out the door when Martha and Donna grabbed them first. She smiled. 

The stingray statue had come to a stop by the wall, so Rose and the Doctor ran to it. Martha and Donna joined once they saw them in the same room, but neither asked what they were planning. 

“Hello, I’m Rose. This is the Doctor, Donna, and Martha, I’m not going to hurt you, alright? I’m just trying to help,” she said. Martha watched as both the Doctor and Rose held out their sonic screwdrivers and began to scan, and the Doctor realized the double scan was _tickling_ the algae. 

“Rose, wait,” he said. His face broke out into a wide smile, and he listened closely. His superior ears could hear it all, the faint whisper of laughter, and he jumped up excitedly. “POWDERFISH!” 

“What?” Martha asked, and the Doctor turned to her. 

“It’s powderfish, not algae! Well, I suppose technically they are algae, they’re a type of algae, well, sort of, they’re enough algae that they read as such in tests but, well, not enough -” 

“Doctor,” Rose said, smiling at him. He was rambling, and he grinned. 

“Right, sorry. Anyway, Rose, you must have tickled them enough with your energy that they jumped off the statues. It’s not the statues moving at all, it’s the powderfish! They need sea salt to stay dormant, and they’ve been trapped in this oxygen filled bubble for who knows how long. They’re growing restless!” the Doctor said. 

“Are they harmful?” Donna asked. 

“No! They just want to get back to the water!” the Doctor said, and hugged Martha with a manic grin, running to the top of the stairs, and counting fourteen statues total once he could get a full view of the foyer. Most of them were still rolling. 

Rose bit her lip, her deducting face stitching itself to her features as she looked around too. 

She noticed guests were still attempting to escape getting trampled by a statue or two. 

The TARDIS was far, very far, and they simply didn’t have time to run back and grab it, load all the statues on, and then take it to the other side of the dome. It would be the easiest option, but Rose knew she and the Doctor were on the same page. 

The powderfish _themselves_ weren’t harmful, but they were rolling the statues along with them, and those were heavy, sharp, and ready to squish anything in their path. 

They couldn’t leave. 

“Teleports,” Rose whispered, and she looked up, her eyes locking with the Doctor’s. 

“What about them?” Donna asked, and Rose felt the cogs in her head turn as the Doctor thought alongside her. 

“We can set up a teleport. One disk here, one disk on the other side of the dome. Then we can transfer the statues back,” she said. 

“It’s brilliant,” the Doctor said, running back down the stairs. 

“Hold on, we can’t just make a teleport can we?” Martha asked. “Run!” 

They looked, and the serpent statue was moving back in their direction. They all darted away, pressing themselves against the wall as it rammed into the opposite wall, and the Doctor noticed a small crack above the fireplace begin to appear. 

“That’s it!” he shouted. “All we need is crack in the forcefield, not a full teleport! Just something to create a molecular transfer!” 

Rose smiled, “I can do that.” His eyes locked with hers. She flashed him her plan in her head, and he smiled. 

“Defender of the Earth,” he murmured, and Donna saw the statue start to move. 

“Oi, dumbos, whatever you’re planning you better do it quick!” she shouted. Five statues were all moving again, headed toward them. 

Rose darted away from the wall and ran up the stairs, back into the bathroom. The others followed, and watched as she pushed the window open, and climbed out onto the ledge. 

“ROSE!” Martha shouted, but the Doctor grabbed her and held her back, sticking his head out the window. 

“There’s an easier way, you know,” he said smirking at her. She flashed her signature smile and grabbed a hold of the stone wall, and began to climb up. He rolled his eyes. “Show off!” 

“You love me!” she shouted back, and he just grinned adoringly at her as he watched her climb. 

“I want that dress back in one piece, you got that?!” he yelled. 

“Yes sir!” she replied, which made him grin harder. 

“What’s she doing?!” Martha shrieked, and the Doctor pulled his head back into the room. 

“The oysters. She’s going to use them to ricochet her energy against the force field, and create a crack,” he said. “Now come on, we need to do some work, too!” 

“Like what?” Donna said. 

“He keeps saying energy, what the hell does that mean?” Martha asked. Donna just smirked and followed the Doctor. 

“You’ll see,” she told her. 

As they made their way downstairs, most of the guests were finally out of the foyer, and there was finally enough space on the walls for him to stop the statues properly. He adjusted the settings on his screwdriver and pressed, and Martha and Donna watched as each statue was pushed into the wall, the powderfish still moving, but unable to roll. 

“What’d you do?” Donna asked. 

“Simple molecular fusion,” he said. 

“So they’re stuck to the wall?” Martha asked. 

“For a bit, yeah,” the Doctor said. “Come on, they’re fine.” 

They ran outside to check how Rose was getting along, but she was already off the roof. When they walked back in, the only ones still in the room saw her running, still in her dress, down the stairs holding one of the oyster disks. 

The Doctor moved to help her, placing it in the middle of the room. He raised an eyebrow at her and swiped his tongue over his teeth, clicking his jaw in place as he tried to imagine where she would have had to carry this disk on her way back into the window. 

She rolled her eyes at him. 

“What’s the plan, then?” Donna asked. 

“I opened the force field, but not for long. Just a crack, it’s healing by the second,” Rose said. “Keep everyone out of here, yeah?” 

Donna nodded and moved to close the doors. Pamela saw and moved to scream at them to get out, but the Doctor pressed his sonic and all the doors shut at once, and locked. He quickly moved to lower all the blinds. 

“Nice,” Donna said, giving him a thumbs up. 

“We need to roll each statue onto the oyster, the energy needs to ricochet off of it,” the Doctor said. “Might shatter a bit, but that’s fine. It’ll still work.”

He unstuck the first statue from the wall, the serpent, and all three of them rolled the statue to place. 

Rose held up her hand just as the Doctor scanned, the sonic screwdriver adjusting the molecules of the powderfish, who jumped off the statue as they were tickled from the vortex energy, and they began to filter through the stream Rose created through the force field. Donna was quickly moving to the next statue, the mermaid, but Martha was staring at Rose. 

“Martha!” Donna called, and the Doctor moved too, helping them move the next statue. They continued, rolling, scanning, and watching as one by one, every last powderfish teleported through the force field and back into the ocean. 

Rose collapsed when they were done.


	4. Resolutions

The Doctor ran to her, holding her as her head worked itself back out. It was the longest she had engaged the energy since Atlantis, multiple times over the last hour, and she kept her eyes closed. “You alright?” he asked after a moment, his eyes searching her face, slightly panicking as their bond had been blocked while she worked, but she eventually opened her eyes and smiled at him. 

“Just fine,” she told him. He hugged her, and as much as he wanted to nudge her mind to make sure, he knew it needed a break. 

Her heartbeat felt normal, at least. 

“Well done,” he whispered, and kissed her head. She sighed. 

“Thank you,” she said. 

Martha was staring again. 

“How...I thought you were human!” she said. 

“I am,” Rose told her, moving to stand as the Doctor helped her up. 

“But -” Martha said. 

“Martha,” the Doctor said, shaking his head. Rose was tired, he could feel it, and he watched as she closed her mouth and stared. Donna rubbed her arm. 

The Doctor unlocked the doors with his sonic screwdriver, and they flew open. Pamela ran in, gawking at them. 

“Are you alright? Is it safe?” she asked. Rose nodded. 

“It’s safe,” she said. Pamela walked around the room, slowly, and more guests began to filter back in, too, obviously confused. 

“How?” Pamela asked. “Thank you! Oh my god, thank you!” 

She hugged Rose, who just smiled. 

“May I introduce you to my husband, the Doctor?” she said. 

“Pleasure to meet you,” he said, and shook her hand. 

“And you,” she said. “What happened?” 

“There was algae on the statues called powderfish, harmless creatures, but they belong in the ocean. They fused to the statues from the lack of sea salt they had gone without, but we managed to send them back. And look! You get to keep your statues!” the Doctor said, grinning. Pamela opened her mouth to say something, but quickly closed it, too confused and dizzy to even try to understand what the strange man before her just said. 

“You alright?” Donna asked her, and the Doctor watched as she gripped Pamela’s shoulders, who nodded. 

“I’m fine, just… that was terrifying. In all my years, I’ve never seen anything like that,” she said. 

“Me either,” Martha said, not talking about the powderfish. 

“How can I make it up to you?” Pamela asked. The Doctor shook his head. 

“You’re brilliant, Ms. Pamela Hammon. A beacon of the time, it was our pleasure,” he said. He looked at his companions, and the only one not currently on the brink of collapse again was Donna, so he sniffed and looked back at the mayor. “We do have to take our leave, though, I’m afraid.” 

“Of course, thank you again,” she said, stepping aside as the Doctor slipped his hand into Rose’s and began to move, Martha and Donna following close behind. 

They made it back onto the sandy pathway when he stopped walking and looked at Rose. 

“Rose, talk to me?” he asked her. 

“I’m exhausted, but I’m fine. Can we just...go home, maybe?” she asked. He nodded. 

“Lean on me,” he said, supporting her as they began the long walk back to the TARDIS. 

Martha had a million questions, and she kept looking at Donna, who shook her head. 

“I just don’t understand,” Martha whispered, and Donna sighed. 

“It’s not for us to understand,” she said quietly. “They won’t explain it. Better to just accept it and move on.” 

“You just have blind faith in them like that?” Martha whispered. The Doctor could hear her, of course, but he kept silent and just looked ahead and tried to keep Rose walking upright. 

“I do,” Donna said. “How can I not? All the things I’ve seen.” 

Martha reflected as she said this, remembering that her entire hospital was under attack, and they saved everyone. 

And they saved everyone today, too. Even the powderfish. 

She supposed she should have a bit of blind faith as well.  


When they reached the TARDIS, the Doctor pushed the door open and carried Rose through the threshold. She was asleep in his arms, and he had carried her the last ten minutes of the walk. 

“I’ll be right back,” the Doctor said. Donna nodded, walking off to her room, and Martha sat in the console room. 

He took a quick detour away from their bedroom and walked into the medbay. He laid Rose on the exam table and quickly scanned her with the sonic, which read normal. He took her temperature and blood pressure. She awoke a bit when she heard the rip of the velcro as he removed the sensor. 

“Sorry,” he said, brushing his hand over her hair. “I was worried.” 

She smiled at him, and shook her head. “I used the energy a lot tonight, that’s all. Brain’s just a little sleepy.” 

He looked at her, and breathed a little easier when he noticed the gentle hum of her mind was very active in his, even with their blocks still up, and his lips pressed to her forehead. “It’s just never happened before. You usually bounce back quickly.” 

“Yeah it has,” she mumbled, yawning. And he sighed. 

_Forgot that bit, did you?_ the northern voice in his head rang. 

Of course it has. He knew that. Just before they bonded, after he dove into her mind, her Vortex energy had led him to her in her mind, and she had to sleep it off. 

His Impossible Human. 

He continued to brush her hair back in his hand and leaned against his arm on the table. “I tend to forget obvious details when I’m worried about you, don’t I?” he mumbled. 

When he was scared, is what he meant. Fear when it comes to Rose, well… it’s been known to cloud his judgement. 

“Nah, I think it’s sweet,” she whispered. “I’m gonna sleep more now, though. Love you.” 

“I love you,” he said softly. When she had drifted off, he scooped her up carefully and led her to the bedroom, draping a blanket over her before he moved back to the console room. 

Donna and Martha were sitting with cuppas, talking. 

“How is she?” Donna asked. 

“She’s fine,” he said. “Resting.” 

“What was that?” Martha asked, unable not to press just one more time for answers. Donna groaned.

“ _Stop_ ,” she said. The Doctor smirked. 

“That was Rose,” he said. “Brilliant and brave, among other things.” 

“She was glowing,” Martha said incredulously. The Doctor shrugged. “You’re really not going to tell us?”

“There’s nothing to tell,” the Doctor said “She fixed it, didn’t she? And saved your hospital from that Viper?” 

“Well, yeah, but -” Martha said. 

“Then let it go,” the Doctor said sternly. Martha sighed. 

“I’m sorry,” she said. He didn’t say anything, but he walked to the console and began the dematerialization sequence, sending them into the Vortex. 

“If you’re tired, there’s a spare room next to Donna’s,” he said. Martha shook her head. 

“I’m okay,” she said. “I really am sorry.” 

He still avoided eye contact for a moment. Rose’s gift wasn’t something they shared with people, other than Jack, but he had been directly affected by it... so he supposed that was to be expected. 

For everyone else, it was too hard to explain. And part of him was a little worried someone would try cart her off and run experiments on her. 

He frowned as he thought this. He’d probably kill them, whoever they were, if that happened. His jaw clenched and he tried to shake the thought out of his head. She’ll be fine.

“It’s fine,” the Doctor said. “What’d you think? First trip and all?” 

She smiled, “It was...unbelievable. Is it always like that?” 

“Not always,” Donna said, looking at the Doctor, who gave her a soft side smile. 

“Thank you,” Martha said. “For taking me.” 

“Anytime,” he said. “You were the one who noticed the statues were moving. Well done.” 

“Really?” Martha said, and he nodded, propping his feet up on the console table. 

“Oh, yes. Brilliant,” he said, bringing his hands behind his head. “Any other places you want to go? One more trip before we head back to Earth? I’ll make sure you’re back for New Year’s.” 

“Concert. Someone dead and amazing,” Donna said. The Doctor laughed. 

“We can make that happen,” he said. Martha grinned. 

“I think I will take you up on that room, then. If we’re traveling some more,” she said. 

“Goodnight,” the Doctor said. “Just through there.” 

“Thank you,” she said. “Night, Donna.” 

“Goodnight,” she said, sipping her tea. 

When they heard the door click, the Doctor looked at Donna. “Thank you, as always. For your help.” 

She nodded, and took another sip. “You alright?” she asked. She saw his jaw clench for a moment, and he sighed. 

“I am, actually,” he said, and he smiled at her. Donna smiled back. 

“Good,” she said. “Well, I’m gonna head to bed too, Doctor. See you in the morning.” 

“Yeah,” he said, and watched her go. 

But just to make sure, because his nerves were all a jumble at the moment and because his brain does things that really irritate him sometimes, he scanned for a rift. 

It came back negative. He sighed, and went to hold Rose as she slept.


End file.
